Saltwater pool skimmer

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method of mounting a pool skimmer to a wall of a saltwater swimming pool to prevent rusting of the wall in the skimmer mounting area. This is accomplished by interposing insulators between the corrosive salt water and the holes necessary to mount the skimmer. The front bracket of the skimmer of the present invention has cavities to accommodate the interposed insulators. The insulators are a combination of one-piece screws with metal washers, and rubber-like washers made of a TPE resin. The rubber-like washer IS sandwiched inside the cavity of the front bracket by the screw&#39;s metal washers. The interposing insulators resist salt water from leaking down a screw&#39;s threads and attacking the integrity of the metal wall of the swimming pool. The insulators form a watertight seal around the screw thus preventing salt water from corroding the wall of the metal swimming pool.

This application is based on provisional application Ser. No. 62/007,827, filed on Jun. 4, 2014.

The present invention relates to preventing corrosion of the mounting area of swimming pool accessories such as a swimming pool skimmer in saltwater swimming pools with coated metal walls. This is accomplished by interposing a water-inhibiting means between the corrosive saltwater and the corrosive-susceptible metal wall.

BACKGROUND

Salt water has gradually gained popularity as a sanitary alternative to chlorine. Most saltwater pools are made with coated metal walls. Typically, the part of the metal wall that is submerged in salt water is susceptible to corrosion when a pool accessory such as a skimmer is mounted with screws to the wall. Notwithstanding waterproofing efforts, salt water finds its way down the screw's threads and corrodes the metal wall in proximity of the screw's hole significantly shortening the lifespan of the pool. Once corrosion sets in, it is not long before the entire pool has to be replaced.

A typical freshwater pool skimmer, US D671192 is attached by screws to a pool's side. The skimmer's face abuts the pool wall on the outside of the pool, and a faceplate is attached with screws from the inside the pool, through holes in the pool wall, to the skimmer.

However, typically the double gasket protecting the opening in the pool wall for the skimmer does not adequately prevent the saltwater from migrating over time along the screw threads. The salt water can easily trespass through the outer face of the skimmer, make its way down the screw threads and settle into the holes drilled in the pool wall to which the screws are attached, supporting the skimmer in place. Once the salt water sets in, it corrodes the metal wall. Repair of this corrosion is difficult and expensive, and sometimes the only option is to throw out the old pool and install a new one.

The present invention resolves this problem by interposing an improved buffer or insulating means between the outer face of the skimmer's front bracket and heads of mounting screws provided to keep skimmer on the wall of a salt water swimming pool. In the preferred embodiment, this buffer or insulating means comprises a new design of a mounting screw and a rubber-like washer. The new mounting screw design comprises a one-piece head and washer arrangement, machined out of a solid piece of stainless steel, and said rubber-like washer is placed between said metal washer and the outer face of said front bracket. Such a combination of metal washer with a rubber-like washer creates practically impenetrable arrangement. Rubber-like washer is resistant to saltwater, typical pool chemicals, and UV degradation.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention extends the useful life of a saltwater swimming pool by reducing or eliminating damage caused by corrosion of the mounting area around a pool accessory such as a skimmer. The present invention illustrates an application for a skimmer, but is in no way limited to only skimmers, and covers any pool accessory that is mounted below the waterline in a saltwater pool, such as return fittings and pool lights.

Saltwater is arrested from corroding the exposed metal of a pool wall inside holes drilled through said pool wall by an improved buffer or insulating means, namely a new one-piece mounting screw combination of a metal washer adjacent to the screw's head, in conjunction with a rubber-like washer placed between said metal washer and outer face of a front bracket of a pool skimmer. This new arrangement protects the rectangular opening or mouth of the skimmer and the metal wall of swimming pool that is susceptible to corrosion. Since saltwater cannot leak past the buffer or insulating means, it cannot attack the integrity of the metal wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the skimmer of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a blown-up side view prior art showing damage caused by the absence of a buffer or insulating means.

FIG. 4 is a blown-up side view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of interposed water-inhibiting element of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows new mounting screw with integral one-piece washer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to eliminating corrosion of a saltwater pool wall made of metal. This is accomplished by preventing the corrosive water from following the threads of a skimmer's mounting screw to the mounting hole in the metal wall of swimming pool and attacking the integrity of this metal wall.

The key to the present invention is an interposing means acting as a buffer or insulator between the salt water and the holes in the wall of the pool. Seen on FIG. 6, the buffer or insulator of the preferred embodiment comprises a one-piece screw 16 comprising a metal washer 21 below head 22, in combination with a rubber-like washer 20 shown on FIG. 5. Washer 20 is snugly sandwiched between inner walls of cavity or hole 24 of front bracket 10 and metal washer 21 of screw 16, as shown on FIG. 4. This new arrangement prevents corrosion of the exposed metal of mounting holes 18 formed in pool wall 14.

In the preferred embodiment, the thickness of metal washer 21 is between 0.9 and 1.1 mm, and thickness of both screw head 22 and metal washer 21 is between 3.15 and 3.45 mm. The diameter of washer 21 can be no wider than 12.3 mm, otherwise it would be un-insertable into cavity 24.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective exploded view of the present invention, comprising a standard skimmer 2 with mouth 26, an opening 4 in a metal pool wall 14, vinyl liner 6 used as a pool liner, double wall gasket 8 used to seal the gap around the skimmer, front bracket 10 used to affix skimmer on pool's wall and bezel 12 used purely for decorative purpose. Gasket 8, front bracket 10 and bezel 12 are substantially identical in configuration, following the rectangular mounting edges of skimmer 2's mouth 26 mounting perimeter.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a skimmer 2 installed in the opening 4 of metal pool wall 14. FIG. 3 shows a blown-up view of prior art, with screws 16 through holes 18 showing corrosion 19 starting in the metal pool wall 14 in the area of holes 18.

FIG. 4 demonstrates the arrangement of the present invention, wherein rubber-like washer 20 is interposed between metal washer 21 of screw 16's head 22 and bracket 10's hole or cavity 24.

In application, when skimmer 2 is installed into pool wall 14's by means of skimmer mouth's 26, washers 20 are inserted inside bracket 10's holes or cavities 24 prior to screws 16's insertions. The suggested depth of cavities 24 is around 0.140″ or 3.55 mm. Each screw 16 is inserted through washer 20, bracket 10's hole or cavity 24, gasket 8, hole 18 in pool's wall opening 4, and into skimmer 2. Each screw 16 is tightened until rubber-like washer 20 is compressed by metal washer 21 of screw 16 to the point that washer 20 forms a watertight seal around screw 16's threads, thus preventing the salt water from corroding metal pool wall 14. In the preferred embodiment, said compression is 0.025″ or 0.635 mm.

Preferably but not necessarily, new insulating buffer washer 20 is made of TPE resin designed to withstand corrosion reaction of salt water. However, this invention is not restricted to only this material, and any other similar corrosion inhibiting material can be used. It is important to use material with the right hardness measurement, measured in “Duro” by a Shore “A” Durometer, in order to obtain the right seal. In the present invention, the suggested Duro for washer 20 is 52±3 on the Durometer scale, as measured by the Shore “A” Durometer.

Cavity or hole 24 of the present invention is designed to get the best possible compression of washer 20 when screw 16 is inserted into cavity 24. In the preferred embodiment, metal washer of screw's head 22 cannot pass the point of “dead stop”, which prevents the installer from overly compressing washer 20 to the point that it will break. In the present invention, washer 20 should not be compressed more than 33% in order to get best seal possible.

Again, the new mounting screw arrangement is not restricted to skimmers. The above arrangement can be used for other swimming pool accessories that are mounted below the waterline, such as return fittings and lights. 

1. Saltwater pool skimmer comprising: a skimmer adapted to be installed within an opening made in a metal wall of a salt water metal swimming pool; a liner and a gasket provided to be placed between an inner edge of said opening in said wall and a front bracket placed over said liner and said gasket, said bracket is provided with a number of holes drilled around its perimeter; cavities formed on outer surface of said front bracket around each hole, formed in said bracket; a number of mounting screws adapted to screw said skimmer to said wall of the swimming pool through holes made in said metal wall, said liner, said gasket and said front bracket, an interposing buffer insulating means adapted to be inserted within said cavities formed in said front bracket, said interposing insulating buffer means are adapted to be locked within said cavities; wherein said interposing insulating means are resistant against salt water to leak past said interposing buffer means and to attack integrity of said metal wall of said swimming pool, and wherein said interposing insulating means forms a watertight seal around said screw thus preventing salt water from corroding the wall of said metal swimming pool.
 2. Salt water skimmer according to claim 1, wherein said interposing buffer insulating means is a combination of one-piece screws comprising metal washers and rubber-like washers, said rubber-like washers sandwiched inside said cavities of said front bracket by said metal washers, said metal washers and said rubber-like washers having a diameter adapted to fit snugly into said cavities of said front bracket.
 3. Salt water skimmer according to claim 2, wherein said rubber-like washers are made of a TPE resin.
 4. Salt water skimmer according to claim 3 wherein hardness of said rubber-like washers is 52±3 on the Durometer scale, as measured by the Shore “A” Durometer.
 5. Salt water skimmer according to claim 1, wherein said cavities' depth is 0.140″ or 3.55 mm.
 6. Salt water skimmer according to claim 3, wherein said TPE resin washers are resistant to salt water, typical pool chemicals, and UV degradation.
 7. Saltwater pool skimmer comprising: a skimmer adapted to be installed within an opening made in a metal wall of a salt water swimming pool; a leak-preventing means provided to be placed between inner edge of said opening and a front bracket, said bracket is provided with a number of holes drilled around its perimeter; cavities formed on outer surface of said front bracket around each of said holes; a number of mounting screws adapted to screw said skimmer to said wall of said swimming pool by means of holes made in said wall; an interposing buffer insulating means comprising a combination of one-piece screws comprising metal washers and rubber-like washers, said rubber-like washers sandwiched inside said cavities of said front bracket by said metal washers, said metal washers and said rubber-like washers having a diameter adapted to fit snugly into said cavities of said front bracket, wherein said rubber-like washers are resistant to salt water penetration and prevent an attack of the integrity of said metal wall of said swimming pool, thus forming a watertight seal around said screw's threads to prevent salt water from corroding said wall of said swimming pool, and protecting said holes formed in said metal wall of said salt water swimming pool against any corrosion.
 8. Salt water skimmer according to claim 7, wherein said metal washers and said rubber-like washers have a diameter adapted to snugly fit into said cavities of said front bracket.
 9. Salt water skimmer according to claim 7, wherein said rubber-like washers are made of a TPE resin.
 10. Salt water skimmer according to claim 7, wherein hardness of said rubber-like washers is 52±3 on the Durometer scale, as measured by the Shore “A” Durometer.
 11. Salt water skimmer according to claim 7, wherein said cavities' depth is 0.140″ or 3.55 mm.
 12. Salt water skimmer according to claim 9, wherein said TPE resin washers are resistant to salt water, typical pool chemicals, and UV degradation.
 13. Saltwater pool skimmer comprising: a skimmer adapted to be installed within an opening made in a metal wall of a salt water swimming pool; a leak-preventing means provided to be placed between inner edge of said opening and a front bracket placed over said leak preventing means, said bracket is provided with a number of holes drilled around its perimeter; a buffer insulating means mounted on said front bracket, said buffer insulating means are adapted to insulate said mounting screws that hold said skimmer in place against salt water, wherein salt water is arrested from corroding said metal wall of said salt water pool that is exposed by holes drilled through said wall.
 14. Salt water skimmer according to claim 13, wherein said interposing buffer insulating means is combination of one-piece screws comprising metal washers and rubber-like washers, said rubber-like washers sandwiched inside said cavities of said front bracket by said metal washers, said metal washers and said rubber-like washers having a diameter adapted to fit snugly into said cavities of said front bracket.
 15. Salt water skimmer according to claim 14, wherein said rubber-like washers are made of a TPE resin.
 16. Salt water skimmer according to claim 14 wherein hardness of said rubber-like washers is 52±3 on the Durometer scale, as measured by the Shore “A” Durometer.
 17. Salt water skimmer according to claim 14, wherein said cavities' depth is 0.140″ or 3.55 mm.
 18. Salt water skimmer according to claim 15, wherein said TPE resin washers are resistant to salt water, typical pool chemicals, and UV degradation. 